First gun - cleaning & lube frequency?

[Tom NJ]

Having recently moved to a very rural location in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, I decided it was time to buy a gun for home defense. I bought a Remington 870 Express Synthetic (model 25549) 12 gauge shotgun with an 18" barrel and a two-shot magazine extension. The gun is stored indoors and only fired for practice in the backyard, maybe 5-10 shots per month. It never sees any rain, dirt, dust or mud.

How often should I clean and lubricate under these conditions? The manual explains how but does not give any frequency information. Also, any recommendations for a good shotgun cleaning kit?

Tom NJ

 

[Falken]

Cleaning swab the bore with light oil, and wipe off finger prints with a lightly-oiled piece of white paper towel.

You can also keep a lint-free rag oiled, but SEALED IN A COFFEE CAN.

That way, you can reuse to wipe it down quickly after fondling it before you put it away.

Fingerprint damage of the bluing results otherwise. Your hands are salty and acidic.

 

[danthaman1980]

Any shotgun cleaning kit will do, but for barrels I'm a fan of bore snakes.

870s are durable, quality shotguns, but corrosion resistance is not their strong point - so for newer 870s, it is more important to keep it away from moisture and humidity, and to wipe down the action and barrel with gun oil after you use it. IMO, stay away from Rem Oil. Break Free CLP, M Pro 7, or Hoppe's Elite work better.

I'd do a quick cleaning (bore snake the barrel and wipe down inside of the receiver) after each use, and do a more thorough cleaning (barrel removal, brush the action, etc) once every 100 rounds or so.

 

[BobsArmory]

+1 You could go much longer on the thorough cleaning with no problem BUT since this is a self defense gun, you want to keep it as clean as possible. Jams and failure to feeds are not a big deal when plinking but when it comes to defense you can never be to safe.

Originally Posted By: danthaman1980
Any shotgun cleaning kit will do, but for barrels I'm a fan of bore snakes.

870s are durable, quality shotguns, but corrosion resistance is not their strong point - so for newer 870s, it is more important to keep it away from moisture and humidity, and to wipe down the action and barrel with gun oil after you use it. IMO, stay away from Rem Oil. Break Free CLP, M Pro 7, or Hoppe's Elite work better.

I'd do a quick cleaning (bore snake the barrel and wipe down inside of the receiver) after each use, and do a more thorough cleaning (barrel removal, brush the action, etc) once every 100 rounds or so.

 

[Tempest]

I have left dirty guns in a safe with a golden rod for years without any ill effects. This was in a desert environment in a fully climate controlled house. I don't do that anymore but it showed to me that guns don't necessarily rust easily.

I think the acidity of your skin and the local humidity of your location will dictate your cleaning regime. Of all the people on the board, you would be most qualified to educate us on anti-corrosion techniques.

I also like to clean as soon after shooting as possible while things are warm and the gunk hasn't had time to harden.


Break Free has a known very good inhibitor package, and their "Collector" is even better for little used guns. I like Eezox for safe queens, however the trichlor solvent isn't the most people friendly (use only outside), but the diester film left behind is legendary for rust resistance.

 

[DrDusty86]

The 870 is a decent gut for the price, VERY reliable just keep the outside of the gun oiled and keep prints off of it and it will be fine. I would break it down and clean it after you shoot it. I have a 5 shot 870 synthetic 18.5" and like it. In fact it is my apartment defense gun.

 

[GenSan]

Ever since I purchased my first handgun in the mid 90s, a Sig P220, that came w/ a sample of Mil-comm's TW25B synthetic grease, that is all I use along w/ Mil-comms gun oil and cleaner. You can get an NRA packaged 3-pack of the grease, oil, and cleaner.

On my Benelli M4 I like to coat the barrel and internals w/ the TW25B grease. I use an Otis micro shot gun cleaner. On the exterior I finger wipe the Mil-comm oil all over any metal exterior part and wipe it dry with some patches.

I usually store my shotgun and all guns clean and always do cleaning after firing regardless of round count. If I don't shoot it for months/years I have never come back to a rusty M4.

 

[jpcjf]

Tom,

Clean your new shotgun before the first time you shoot it. Clean it after every time you shoot it. If it is stored indoors as you stated clean it, very lightly once every 3-4 months. (We cleaned "Station" shotguns, for those who didn't own personal shotguns on the P.D. monthly). Use a bore snake as stated above, any quality gun cleaning kit - brand doesn't really matter, and for lube I suggest Militec-1 or FrogLube.

 

[hatt]

Shooting it that much. Give it a thorough cleaning and light lube once a year. Wipe it down with lightly oiled rag every time you use it. Maybe run a rag down the barrel every few months but that likely not needed. Lube as needed, it probably won't be required. Too much cleaning is a waste of time and could lead to unnecessary wear and breakage.

I always like to shoot a defensive gun after breaking it down to clean to confirm something weird didn't happen.

 

[Tom NJ]

Thanks all! Very helpful information!

Tom

 

[05LGTLtd]

Nothing wrong with remoil, and it's easy to source. I like barricade or miltec personally. Keep it lubed and wipe it down after handling, and you should be fine. Boresnake is quick and gets the job done.

 

[Mystic]

I don't think anybody can go far wrong cleaning and lubricating a gun every time after you shoot it. Although Breakfree has apparently declined in quality it is still okay for cleaning and lubricating a gun. Birchwood Casey PTFE synthetic gun oil is probably also good. I think some people use too much solvent on a handgun. You should clean first just with clean cloth. And use either Breakfree or Hoppes or Hoppes Elite on the gun barrel. Maybe once a year use something stronger on the gun barrel to remove any possible copper fouling.

 

[bsmithwins]

Generally, I clean after every time I go shooting, or every three months. When I lived in New Mexico (very, very dry climate) I didn't re-oil every three months but I was carefull to wipe bores down before shooting, as dust or sand in the bore will leave scratches.

Breakfree is a good gun oil and you can find surplus LSA which works well also.

BSW

 

[bruce381]

Hi Tome long time you maynot remember me (I will not post info here)

Anyway your biggest worry will be just surface rust not a big deal with about any lube or LOL ester oil out there PCMO maybe best in that it will have sulfonates in it to resist rust.

I do not know your fireams exsperience but regarding the shotgun or shooting I like to mix it up and make shooting (practice) fun.

In a defensive situation you maybe flustered and nervous and not do what you think you will do, as they say practice makes perfect.

I think if you add in some fun practice with a moving target like a simple hand thrown or cheap machine thrown clay pigeon.

You can have a lot of fun and involve other people (wife?) and really get to know your shotgun.

Buy cheap ammo at walmart and get a box of "clays' and have fun with it.

Enjoy retirment be safe good

Bruce

 

[Tom NJ]

Hi Bruce,

Of course I remember you and was concerned when you stopped posting! Great to see you back!

I have a fair amount of experience with firearms but never owned one. When young I was the president of our local gun club, and was on the varsity rifle team in college. Did a little hunting and skeet shooting, but living in suburban NJ made gun ownership and practice a hassle.

Now that I have a house on 25 acres in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, buying a gun is easy and I can literally practice from my front porch. My wife is a little lady and has no desire for a bruised shoulder from a 12 gauge. I'm working on getting her to fire it at least once for the experience, and teaching her how to use it while unloaded. She just has no interest though. If a bad guy breaks in, her role is to get the police on the phone while I get the shotgun to defend the bedroom.

Hope all is well with you Bruce!

Tom

 

[bruce381]

sounds great Tom I have a few years to go kids just seem tokeep comiong back home

 

[GMFan]

When I cleaned my 870 it was dirtier from the factory than it was after firing 70 or so shells of bird, buck and slugs. It wasn't very dirty after the 70 shells and I anticipate cleaning and oiling the gun only when I don't plan on using it for a while. For example, if I put
If you will be storing the gun for a while without shooting run a lightly oiled swab through the barrel and leave a light coating of oil, then run a clean patch through before firing. This will prevent any rust.

When cleaning I apply light oil at the choke threads, mag/barrel clamp (held on by that screw), where the barrel has metal contact with the ejection port area and also the for-end rails. Although the manual does not call for it I apply a very very light coating of oil in the mag and extension to help with feeding the shells.

The manual states to only use rem-oil on the trigger assembly. I have yet to clean mine though.

Here is a decent video on diss-assembly

There are stories of huge abuse to an 870...i.e. lots of use and abuse without cleaning. They say this shotgun is a workhorse. To me though it feels nice taking care of a tool such as this and it's not in my nature to abuse things.

Someone also mentioned the fact that they like to clean and then test fire which I think is a good idea. That way you KNOW the gun works properly before you put it away after a cleaning and it will work if/when you NEED it.

 

[demarpaint]

For shooting it 5-10 rounds/month: I'd run the bore snake down the barrel, wipe down the exterior of the barrel and action with my favorite gun oil and call it a day. Every 100 rounds I'd give it a good cleaning.

 

[Robenstein]

I clean my gun every time I shoot it. Why? Because it gives me something to do. But because of this I have never suffered a rusty gun or a single failure due to poor maintenance. My only malfunctions have been due to a busted firing pin spring and [censored] ammunition.

 

[Astro14]

I clean my guns every time I shoot them. I function check them after re-assembly. Then they're wiped down and put away clean. I have never had an issue with rust or mechanical failure.

The gun that I carry is an H&K USP Compact in .40 S&W. I treat it exactly the same, the only difference is that I might err on the side of too much oil on a gun that's going back in the safe, while the H&K gets the precise (very small) amount that the manual recommends...